Pleasure-wheel



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J. THANNHEIMER. PLEASURE WHEEL.

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J. THANNHEIMER. PLEASURE WHEEL.

No. 563,894. Patented July 14, 896.

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PLEASURE WHEEL. No. 563,894. Patented July 14, 1896 (No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 4.

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7N0. 563,894. Patented July 14, 1896.

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PLEASURE WHEEL. No. 563,894 Patented July 14, 1896.

\NKmtas z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH THANNHEIMER, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

PLEASURE-WH EEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,894, dated July 14, 1896.

Application filed November 25, 1895. Serial No. 570,055. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Josnrn THANNHEIMER, of Dayton, county of Montgomery, State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pleasure-YVheels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and ex act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in merry-go-rounds or pleasure-wheels.

The object of the said invention is to provide a pleasure-wheel in which is combined a circular platform adapted to revolve on its own axis in a horizontal plane and a series of revolving frames mounted so as to revolve in the same plane with said circular platform, and atthe same time each of said frames having an independent vertical revolution on its own axis. In short, the object of the invention is to provide a pleasure-wheel susceptible of a variety of movements.

To this end the said invention consists of parts and their arrangement, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

Referring to the annexed drawings, forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved pleasurewheel. The two sections of the mast are broken away in this view, and the upper end of the upper one is shown in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line m a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the framework. (Interior parts are not shown.) Fig. at is an enlarged sectional view of the driving mechanism, the lower mast shown in vertical elevation. Fig. 5 is a diagram of the driving pulleys and belt. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the epicyclic train, the upper horizontal wheel removed to show the attachment of the lateral tie-rods; Fig. 7, a similar view of the gearing with the upper horizontal wheel in position.

In the detailed description to follow similar lettersof reference designate corresponding parts in the various views.

The letter A designates the main supporting-frame, in the center of which a tubular mast is placed, consisting of two sections 13 and B. The first-named section has on its lower end a spindle a, that is journaled in a bearing a on a bottom cross-piece of said frame.

and O designate, respectively, upper and lower crown-gears. The former wheel, 0, has a rigid attachment with. the sleeve b, which loosely incloses the lowersection of said mast. The sleeve 1) has an annular bearing-flange 1), between which and a similar flange b ballbearings b are placed. The flange 1) extends from a bushing 19 that is incased in the central opening in the upper part of the frame A, through which the lower section of the mast projects.

D designates a bevel-gear which is keyed to the sleeve 1). Adapted to mesh with this gear are four similar wheels 1), D, D and D which are placed at right angles thereto and are rigidly mounted on the inner ends of a plurality of radial shafts D, which radiate from a common center, as shown in Fig. The inner ends of the shafts D are jonrnaled in a bearing-plate c, that surrounds the lower section B of the mast and rests on ball-bearings b on the upper end of the sleeve 6.

D designates a sixth bevel-gear, which occupies a relative position to the gear D. This gear D is also adapted to mesh with the wheels D D D D and is keyed to a sleeve 0, that is similarly attached to the upper end of the lower section of the mast and which supports the upper section B of said mast, to which it is keyed. It will be noted that the side gears of this train maybe driven by either the upper or lower wheels D or D as will be hereinafter more fully described.

(1 designates a spindle having the varying diameter substantially as is shown in Fig. 1. This spindle projects into the upper end of the section B of the mast and has a bearing in plates (9. and d, which are connected to each other by a series of bolts d The upper one of said plates (1 has an annular shoulder d that rests upon the upper end of the mast and incloses the spindle cl.

E designates a series of radial beams which have their inner ends rigidly attached to an annular plate 0", that loosely surrounds the mast and is supported in the position shown in Fig. 1 by a series of vertical rods 0 which are bolted to the plate a and to an annular plate 0 which is affixed to the upper end of the spindle d. A series of cross-beams E is rigidly attached to the outer parts of the beams E. This completes a revolving frame, from which a series of revolving frames F, carrying cabs F and a circular platform F, are suspended.

f and f designate two series of tie-rods, the upper ends of which are rigidly attached to the revolving plate 0 and the lower ends of which are attached to the beams E. From said beams E there are two series of downwardly-extending tie-rods f and f which support at their lower ends a circular plat form F.

f designates guy-rods which are attached to a plate f that loosely incloses the upper end of the spindle d. The lower ends of these rods f may be connected to any stationary object, (not shown,) such as a post, tree, &c.

It will be noted from the foregoing description that the frame comprising the radial beams E and the cross-beams E, the revolving frames F and the cabs F, and the lower platform F is suspended from the spindle d. The outer parts of the radial shafts D are journaled in bearings e, securely mounted on the vertical tie-rods f and f. The arms e, constituting parts of the revolving frames F, are mounted in rigid bearings e, that turn with the shafts D, and as said frames F are thus revolved the cabs F maintain their centers of gravity. This series of cabs F are each adapted to seat one or more persons, and one is depended between each pair of parallel arms by the bails a which loosely connect with a cross-piece e, connected to the outer ends of said arms, so that each cab will swing into and occupy a vertical position as the frames are revolved upon their axes.

i designates a series of radial tubular tierods which have their inner ends attached to the bearing-plate c and their outer ends connected rigidly to plates 2'. These tie-rods are also connected to a series of tie-rods 2', which are attached to the inner plates 2" and to the inner bearings e of the shafts D. The iron framework depended from the beams E is thus rigidly connected together in one substantialnetwork. g designates an inner pulley keyed to the shaft g, driven by a main pulg and g are two short shafts jour-:

ley h. naled in bearings in the frame, and havekeyed on their inner ends toothed pinions g and g, which mesh with the crown-wheels C and 0, these respective shafts g and 9 having running loosely thereon pulleys g and g which are provided with internal clutch members g and g and g designate clutch members slidingly mounted on saidj shafts g and g and adapted to be brought in and out of engagement with the members g and g by means of the usual shifting-levers. 3 (Not shown.)

Referring to the various movements that. may be imparted to the apparatus, it will be noted that when the upper gear-wheel O is actuated alone by the pinion g the lower bevel-gear D will be actuated to drive the side gears D, D, D and D.

The frames F will be revolved upon their own axes, and at the same time the entire mechanism that is supported upon and affected by the upper spindle d will be revolved around a common axis, to wit, the center mast. Thus it will be seen the revolving frames that carry the cabs F will be subjected to two separate movements, which, if diagrammatically described, the movement of the revolving frames F would represent a wave line. Assuming now that the pinion g is not being driven, but that the lower pinion g is, the lower crown-wheel G will consequently be driven, and therefrom the upper bevel-gear D will be rotated. This will impart to the entire suspended mechanism a reverse rotary movement to that just described in connection with wheel D. The rotation or the frames F upon their axes will, however, be the same whether the wheels D, D D", and D are driven by wheels D or D or both. Assuming further that both the upper and lower crown-wheels G and O are being simultaneously driven, the effect will be that the depended mechanism, to:wit, that which revolves around the mast, will remain stationary, while the frames F will revolve in fixed orbits about their own axes. In order to prevent any movement of either of the wheels 0 and O that might be occasioned by friction when one or the other of said gears is in motion, I provide two friction devices j and j, that serve to lock the shafts g and g" against any movement due to friction while one or the other of the wheels 0 and O are moving. These loeking-clutchesj and j are operated by hand, and are of well-known construction. In fact, any device to serve this purpose may be employed.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a pleasure-wheel, the combination with a two-part mast, and gear-wheels O and O loosely and rigidly attached to the lower section of said mast, of an epicyclic train of gears adapted to be actuated by one or the other of said wheels 0 and O, of a series of shafts cl rotated by said train of gears, a series of revolving frames carrying cabs F rotated by said shafts D, and means for driving said wheels 0 and 0 simultaneously or independently, substantially as described.

2. In a pleasure-wheel, the combination with a two-part mast, and gear-wheels O and C, of an epicyelic train of gears driven by said wheels 0 and O, a series of revolving frames rotated by said train of gears, a spindle mounted in the upper end of the upper section of said mast, and a revolving circular frame depended from said spindle, and adapted to revolve in a horizontal plane, the said series of revolving frames being carried by said depended frame, substantially as described.

In a pleasure-wheel, a two-part mast, in

a mast consisting of two parts B and B, gearwheels 0 and O, the former rigidly mounted on the part B of said mast, and the latter 0 fixed to a sleeve 1), a train of gears driven through said part B and sleeve b, a series of radial shafts D rotated by said train of gears and a series of revolving frames F rotated by said shafts D, a spindle cl loosely mounted in the section B of the mast, a frame depended from said spindle adapted to revolve around said mast, and upon which the frames F are carried as herein shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of October, 1895.

J OS. THANNHEIMER. W'itncsses R. J. MCCARTY, S. A. DICKSON. 

